Woodlawn man sentenced in massive identity theft scheme

Derrick Hill used identities of 250+ people to steal money, buy goods

A Woodlawn man will spend 11 years in prison for stealing the identities of more than 250 people.

Derrick Hill, 53, was also ordered to pay more than $191,000 in restitution at a sentencing hearing on Monday.

According to his plea agreement on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, Hill received stolen checks that were meant to be destroyed by banks between August and October of 2009 in a scheme that involved his girlfriend, Renee Cabell, and two co-conspirators, John Coffey and Tawney King.

U.S. attorneys said Hill also got access to personal identity information of patients at the Highlandtown Community Health Center from King, 46, who worked at the facility. Hill then used that information to create counterfeit checks and to make counterfeit ID cards and driver's licenses for those involved in the scheme, authorities said.

Prosecutors said Coffey, 43, helped Hill cash the checks, and Cabell, 51, gave him identity information of doctors who had applied for fellowships at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she worked processing the applications. Officials said Hill would use the doctors' identities to rent apartments and buy merchandise.

Attorneys said the four defendants ended up collecting more than $188,000 worth of goods and services during the scheme that involved more than 250 victims.

Cabell, Coffey and King all previously pleaded guilty to the same charges as Hill. Cabell and Coffey got 30 months and 57 months in prison, respectively. King will be sentenced on Thursday.

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